Kent’s biggest women-oriented bash went off without a hitch May 7, drawing approximately 500 ladies through the doors of the ShoWare Center.

The Wine, Women, Wow! event, one of the Kent Downtown Partnership’s biggest annual fundraisers, brought in the crowds and pleased the vendors, according to organizers.

“It went off wonderfully – it was a nice night,” said Libby Seidel, who chaired the event.”Everybody had a great time. The vendors thought it was well worth their time.”

Seidel said she made the rounds during the event, stopping to talk with each vendor, and got a clear message that they were interested in returning to next year’s event.

“I would say we will be hard pressed to have a new vendor come in next year, unless we open it up (further),” she said, noting that all of this year’s vendors get first rights of refusal for next year.

Seidel said the KDP also was able to raise $735 in raffle-ticket sales as a benefit for the Washington Women’s Education and Employment organization, a non-profit group with an office in Kent. WWEE works with the less fortunate, to give them the opportunity to become more viable members of the workforce and to better support their families.

“I think everybody was in such a great mood, and there were great raffle prizes,” Seidel said of the general spirit of giving that prevailed at the event.

To learn more about the Wine, Women and Wow! event, or about the KDP, go to www.kentdowntown.org, or call 253-813-6976.